Artificial limb



A. A. ERB.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB. cATloN FILED ocT.|

1,400,042. Patenfed Dec. 13, 1921.

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...... lll-my il-l' vente 'y 4 Briton a. une, or nnivvnt,"coLonAnol` parts,

heel cord or cords, `and vso .To (all Vcai/1,0m it' wia/y concern:

Iuse the same, reference Y improved 3*; and

l Anfriiieiannii'rrf Y income.;

Be it knownthat I,1Airri1Un A'. Ene, a citizen 'of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver, and State of Colorado, 'have invented certain new and useful Improvements iin Artii'cial Limbs; and I' dof declare the following-to be a 'iill, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Y' will enable others skilled iii the art to which it appertains tomake and being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charf acters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to the improvement ot artilicial limbs, and has particular relaf tion to the improvement of the anklev joint therefor, orjointed connection between the foot and the' leg.

The objects of my invention are to pro--l vide a simplev and efective'ankle joint ot improved construction and arrangementV of whereby a natural movement ofthe be attained, to so construct Vmy ankle joint askto insure the same withstanding' great strain and wear, Aand obviate the necessity of employing the usual to produce other improvements, the detail ofy construction lol which will be more ful-lyv pointed out hereinafter. rIhese objects I'accomplish in the manner illustrated in fthe vaccompanying drawing in which- 'l Figure 1 is a centralA longitudinal section through the foot and the lower portion of the leg; p

Fig. 2 is a transverse longitudinal section takenv on line 2-2 Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section of vmy improved ankle joint taken on line 3-3 Fig. 2;

, Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 Fig.

toot may Fig. 5 is ication. Y Y

The same reference characters will be used to indicate the same parts throughout a detail showingaslight modithe several views,

Numeral 1 represents an .artificial `foot body, the upper side and rear portion of which is provided with an elongated recess 2. The lower end 3 of the leg portion 4 projects into thelongi'tudinal recess 2 and is hingedly connected to the foot .member 1 by means of my -mproved ankle joint, which comprises two U bolts 5 and `@the former of which passes through suitable depth 'senti iva., 508,370.

recess 8k in ythe bottomf'of where vit is held inplace openingsfrv into a the foot member,

by means of nuts 9 and a vstrap 1 0- The I and strap 12, inthe same manner aslbolt In order to provide a substantial and 'duiablebea'ring upon which the `'relative move'- ment olf Vthe foot and'atheleg may take` place, ber 13, which isprovided on its outer surface and-approximately midway betweenits ends I'provide' atubular cylindrical mem-v 4 -K I with an enlargedportion 14, which contains agi'oove 15 for-thereception of the'arcu l ate connecting portion 16 of U bolt 6 `(Fig.

3). U! bolt 5 h as a straight part 1'?y connecting the two sides of the U, and' is located within the tubular bearing member 13 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and-3. Thef upper side of member 13 and length tov receive the U bolt'` 5, and

is provided withy an elongated opening 18 off-suflicient width l diametrically opposed to opening 18 are l two transversely elongated holes. Q19

4) for the reception 'of thetwolarms of U bolt 5. j Within cylindrical member 13 is a cylindrical y bearing `memberv 2O,y whichl is providedin its Yupper` surface'with'a longitudiiial 'channel 21, which is ofl'a 'size and l bolt 5. holes 22 wliich-'are-of suchsize' as-to'permit the arms of bolt 5 toA slide therein.

It is evidentthat when my hinge or joint,

t" receive 'the transverse. part 17 i of Member 20 is also provided with twol is assembled, as shown inthe drawings, bolt by holesg19. Lower or foot member 1 4is provided in the bottom of recess. 2 with. a depression 23 for the 25 from rotating i n depression 24,' I` provide 5 can be rocked'tothe extent permitted receptionof' the cyliny drical tubular member 13, and the lower alsoA providedY Y Y the leg member 3 with a projecting portion 1 in front of .thev

l25, which engages 1n the elongated openj' Where the stump isrvery long, necessitat` Y member.

ing a very short lower leg portion 3, I sub-A stitute for U bolt 6 two plate members 29 Y(Fig. which have tapered holes 30 which VV coperate with corresponding tapered porof cylindrical tubular mem- A From/the above it produced an ankle joint hinge that is of simple, rigid and durable construction, and which possesses great strength. I wish to particularly point out that the cylindrical tubularzmember is 'of rea-t strength having C 7 b an elongated opening 18 at its top which 'is only ofsufiicient size to permit thev U boltl 5 to be inserted therethrough.` Cylindrical member' 20 is introduced into tubular member 13 through the end thereof and not from the top, as has been done before. This results in a construction in which member 13 retains the. greater portion of its strength and substantially insures that this member will not break. Iconsider the structural feature just pointed out to be of great practical importance, as it results in an article of superior strength and greater adaptability to limbs of different kinds.

aving now described my invention, what I claim isl. As an article of manufacture, detachable ankle joint for artificial limbs, comprising in combination an open-ended tubular,

substantially cylindrical, member, a/ longithereof,

f l vtudinally elongated opening vin one side of said member, a longitudinally grooved cylindrical member adapted to be inserted into said tubular member through the open end a U-shaped bolt encircling said will appear that I have 'a longitudinally tubular Vmember vsubstantially fmidway be- .i

pair ofspaced openings ings in the tubular and the .cylindrical members.

2. An anlrle joint for artificial limbs, comcombinationy a tubular, substanprising in tially cylindrical, member having openends, elongated opening in one side of saidvmemberj an enlarged portion between the ends thereof,`a groeve in said enlarged portion, a cylindrical member adapted t0 bev inserted into ysaid tubular member through the open end thereof, said cylindrical member havingf aplongitudinal channel in one side there0f,-and two spaced. openings from said channel to the other side, a pair of spaced transversely elongated openings. in said tubular member, a U bolt encircling said cylindrical member and cooperating'with said groove, a U bolt having its arms passing through the spaced openings in the tubular and cylindrical members, and having its transverse portion yin the channel in the cylindrical member. .v

An anklel joint for artificial limbs, comprising in combination a tubular member having open ends, a cylindricalmember adapted to be inserted into said tubular member through one ofthe open ends, a transversely elongated hole in saidtubular member, a bolt passing through said elongated opening and secured to the rcylindrical member, and means for non-rotatably securing said tubular member to a part of Van artificial limb.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR A. ERB. Y 

